EAST CHESHIRE HOSPICE: Patty Callaghan with her models
Artist Patty Callaghan will be explaining how to make papier mache models at Macclesfield Town Hall.
Her 45-minute talk on Sunday, September 29, at 2pm is one of many attractions at Art Fair Cheshire which is sponsored by AstraZeneca and is in aid of East Cheshire Hospice.
The event (which runs from Thursday, September 26 to Thursday, October 3) showcases work from more than 50 artists who donate a percentage of proceeds to the charity. Admission is free.
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Patty, from Macclesfield, has been an Art Fair regular since it expanded to include a craft gallery.
She said: “I’m taking along my models, some partly finished, and others completed, to talk through processes, materials and answer questions.
“My bread-and-butter work is running art classes and workshops, but I also spend a lot of time making papier mache models.
“I like reusing stuff due to be thrown out. The models are made of newspaper and I use magazine pages to find the right colours.
“I often do commissions. It might be a family pet, recreated in papier mache as a special gift for that person who is hard to buy for.
“Most figures are made as commissions, usually portraits to mark a special anniversary or birthday. I had one request for a narrow boat as an anniversary present.
“When people come to my workshop, they always say it’s a nice and relaxed thing to do and like being a child again, messing about with glue and paper.”
Patty runs regular workshops and there will be an opportunity at the talk to sign up for her next session.
She said: “I make my own glue. You don’t want to dip your hands in glue when you don’t know what’s in it.
“I use flour and water and add vinegar and sugar to act as a preservative. It’s then cooked to make it really sticky and it works well.
“Using household ingredients is eco-friendly. It’s quite niche and there aren’t many artists making things out of paper mache. It’s also cheap, accessible and great fun.”
Art Fair Cheshire, run by volunteers, features original art and sculptures, paintings, prints, jewellery, photography, glassware, ceramics, millinery and willow weaving.
The event opens from 10.30am until 4pm each day. For more details visit www.theartfair.org.uk
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